


Shoot Me

by sparroepitome



Category: Original Work
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Gen, Gun Violence, Mild Hurt/Comfort, borderlands!AU, but just for a bit, the violence is barely even there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 02:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16232537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparroepitome/pseuds/sparroepitome
Summary: Leroy learns the hard way not all people are humans.





	Shoot Me

**Author's Note:**

> Set in the Borderlands game universe, roughly during the events of Borderlands 2. I've been replaying the games a lot so I thought, why not plop my two favorite boys in my favorite game of all time? I apologize for any inaccuracies in any of the details, as I only played the game casually. I did do some research, hopefully it would be enough to portray the scene. Hopefully, you guys would like it.
> 
> Enjoy!

Eugene knows he should be brainstorming for an escape plan, but he couldn't help his eyes from examining the shotgun pointed right at his face, starting from the large barrel that was staring him down.

The shotgun was a Jakobs. _Perfect_. As soon as the bandit pulls the trigger, Eugene is as good as dead. He wouldn't even have the time to get his own gun and shoot back, despite his lightning speed reflexes.

Oh, did he also mention that it was a Quad? _Absolutely fantastic_. Not only was the firearm quick, but it can also blow his skull apart in one shot.

So, to sum it up, Eugene was fucked.

In hindsight, they shouldn't have camped so close to the bandit hideout. They did take precautions. They made sure to stay close to the shadows, settling in a corner between the rusted metal fence and an abandoned shack, just by the border. They only lit up a small fire, afraid that it would attract the attention of the guards, but big enough that it could keep the both of them warm for the night. Though in the end Eugene decided to snuff it out, one can never be too careful. They decided to share heat in more…Practical ways.

Apparently, those precautions still wasn't enough.

It's not like they had a choice. It was either they camp in the middle of the barren wasteland and get mauled by skags or risk getting caught by the bandits. None of them were good, but at least humans can be reasoned with, no matter how unhinged they may be.

And this was how Eugene woke up, eyes snapping open to stare right at the four muzzles of the Quad, a bandit grinning down at him crookedly. He couldn't see the man's eyes behind the skewed sunglasses he was wearing, but Eugene was sure that he had this feral look he sees in almost every bandit they've encountered.

He was both relieved and worried when a quick glance around told him that Leroy's nowhere to be seen. Relieved, because maybe the scientist had escaped upon hearing footsteps (although his heart aches at the thought that Leroy would just leave him there) and that means Eugene didn't fail his job (yet). Worried, because there's a possibility that Leroy had been captured instead and God only knows what they're doing to him at this very moment. They don't take kindly to trespassers, especially if they were Hyperion. The man could be tortured ruthlessly. Or worse, _killed_.

Eugene was snapped back to the present by the sound of the shotgun cocking, dragging his eyes back up to glare at the bandit, face showing no signs of being perturbed by his impending doom despite the wild beating of his heart.

“Bold of you to come so close, Hyperion punk.” The bandit spits out, voice muffled by the black bandanna covering the lower half of his face. As if he needed emphasizing, he nudged the barrel against Eugene's nose, causing him to hiss in warning.

Not that he could do anything against the bandit, but. He couldn’t show the slightest bit of weakness in front of these savages.

“Just trying to survive like everyone else.” He says firmly, trying to convey that he was not afraid of whatever this bandit was about to do to him (when actually, he doesn’t think he’s ready to die yet).

The bandit scoffs, but stops short, like he just noticed something. Eugene can’t see what he’s looking at, but judging from the slight turn of his head, he finally sees the other yellow tarp draped over the hot, dirt ground, Leroy’s makeshift rucksack and his lab coat laid above it. _Shit_.

“Where’s your friend?” The bandit nods towards the tarp and swinging the shotgun slightly. Relief washed over him upon hearing the question, which means Leroy’s somewhere safe and the bandits didn’t get to him. Good. Eugene shrugs easily, noting the way the bandit’s eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t know,” he admits, and he wasn’t lying. He honestly had no idea where the scientist went, and he doesn’t care as long as he’s okay.

Naturally, the bandit doesn’t believe him and pressed the shotgun more insistently against the side of his face, the rusty metal warm on his skin. The gun was recently used. He growls, starting to get annoyed by Eugene’s lack of information.

“Don’t fucking mess with me! I know you’ve got that code monkey holed up somewhere.”

Eugene doesn’t appreciate the nickname the bandit used to address Leroy, eyes narrowing.

“Watch your mouth, fucker,” He snarls, filled with a surge to protect the scientist, wherever he might be at the moment. “I woke up with a fucking shotgun to the face, do you think I have time to think about someone else’s well-being?”

“Don’t you start being a smart-ass!” The bandit shouts, rushing forward and pinning Eugene against the fence, the point of the gun digging painfully into his cheek right about now, causing him to grit his teeth. The guy was losing his patience, and Eugene’s chances of actually escaping has probably dissipated along with it. He squirms, nails raking against the rusty sheet of metal, the sound grating his ears. The man was so close, Eugene can almost taste the scent of rotting meat through the bandanna. _Gross_. If the bandanna wasn’t on, the bandit would probably be baring his pointy incisions at Eugene, but his current state doesn’t make him look less intimidating, especially since he’s seconds away from blasting his head off his neck. 

“Listen up, _punk_ ,” He growls right into Eugene’s ear. “I ain’t got time for your mind games. So either you tell me where your buddy is _right now_ or you wouldn’t even have a _mouth_ to talk shit with.”

Eugene has had _enough_ with this bandit’s nonsense, thrashing under the man’s bulky body as he spat on his face, causing the bandit to howl furiously rub at his exposed skin. “Over my dead body.” He grounds out, trying to take advantage of the momentary distraction and break free from his grip.

The bandit catches on quickly, letting out another enraged snarl and pressed Eugene harder, the soldier crying out as the grooves of the metal sheet dug into his back hard enough to leave bruises later. His eyes caught the split second action where the bandit curls his finger tighter around the trigger, realizing that his disobedience just may have caused him his life.

“That’s it, you Hyperion punk! Time to say goodbye!”

Eugene squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for imminent death as he swallowed heavily. Images flickered at the back of his eyelids in a flash, of the floating space station he’s wasted most of his life in, of the explosion that led him to this current point in time, of a familiar face with his eyes shaped as crescents when he smiles, the skin forming crinkles at the corners—

_BANG!_

The resounding gunfire almost made Eugene leap out of his skin, but it wasn’t as surprising as the fact of _how was he still alive_ if the man had shot him, or the following spray of what he assumed was blood spattering against his cheek. He flinched and tried to move away.

Almost immediately, the pressure on his cheek was gone, and he could feel something heavy fall against his figure instead. His eyes snapped open, and he couldn’t help the sharp gasp that escaped his lips.

The bandit that held him hostage now had a hole going straight through his skull, the man as good as dead as his lifeless body slumped against Eugene. The shotgun fell onto the ground with a noisy clatter, followed closely by a thud of the body as Eugene shoved it off of him. Someone had gotten him before he could kill Eugene. But who—?

He hears a shaky intake of breath, and looks up.

He was met with a wide-eyed Leroy, his pupils jittering as he stares at the dead bandit. His dark, ebony hair fell over his forehead in a messy curtain, no longer pushed back into the neat, clean hairstyle he usually has, covering the bright red bandanna he wears. His pink, pouty lips parted, mouth hanging wide open in disbelief. As Eugene’s eyes trailed further downwards, he sees the tense lines of his shoulders, standing a few feet apart from him, arms raised. His knuckles were white, wrapped around the grip of an Iron pistol (the one Eugene gave him for protection), the steel barrel glinting in the harsh sunlight, the muzzle steaming after being recently used.

It just occurred to Eugene why Leroy looks so shaken up.

It’s his first kill since they set foot on Pandora.

The pistol fell out of Leroy’s trembling hands, the scientist stepping back as he continues to stare in horror and disbelief at the body, still having trouble processing that _he_ did this. He murdered someone. _Him_ , Leroy Novell.

“I…I killed him…”

The words were whispered so softly, it was barely audible to Eugene. The soldier waits, still trying to process the whirlwind of events that just happened, but he needed to be ready in case Leroy starts having a breakdown. His safety was Eugene’s priority, above all else.  Judging from the way Leroy’s breathing becomes more erratic, his body heaving as he looked back and forth between Eugene and the corpse like a caught animal, and the tiny whimpers that Leroy keeps making with every step he takes, he’s close to hyperventilating and going into shock. He needs to step in.

Eugene strides quickly to reach Leroy and grabbed him by the shoulders, already expecting the younger to fight back due to his panic, as evidenced when Leroy tries to push him away with his slender hands. But Eugene was stronger, broader. He holds on firmly as his cries of dismay and confusion gets louder, his dark, hazel orbs filled with nothing but terror as they darted around helplessly, Leroy still struggling against his grip.

Leroy’s unintelligible noises started to give way to a string of sensible words as the scientist launches into a frenzied tirade, sounding more distressed as he goes on. Eugene tries to cut in, but he just continues on like he hasn’t heard anything.

“Leroy, calm down.”

“—I just shot someone on the head, I killed a human! Th-the guy’s not breathing anymore, ‘Gene. What am I supposed to do?!”

“Leroy—“

“Oh God, I _took_ someone’s life! He’s _dead_ , not in this world. His soul is gone!”

“Leroy!”

“I’m responsible for the death of a person, a human being like us! I can’t live with the guilt of killing—“

“Leroy, would you listen to me for a moment?!” Eugene’s raised voice sliced through the scientist’s monologue, effectively cutting Leroy off before he could go on another tangent. Not enough to make it seem like he’s reprimanding the man for his panicking, but enough to catch his attention. He paused as the two made eye contact, Leroy’s uneasy gaze meeting Eugene’s stern one. A few, tense seconds passed before Eugene speaks.

“Leroy, this is _Pandora_ we’re talking about. People kill each other all the time, it’s their way of surviving. And now it’s _ours_. We can’t live a day here without shooting someone. Get used to it, ‘Roy.”

“But—“ Leroy was about to protest, but the irritated glare Eugene sent his way was enough to make him shut up again.

“This is only the beginning. We’ll have to face worse bandits, clans, you name it. And if we want supplies, we’ll have to fight them for it. Understand?”

Leroy doesn’t nod immediately, and Eugene could see the internal conflict the scientist was having in his mind. He stammers, “H-how about we find Sanctuary? I’m sure we could live there peacefully!” Eugene’s was in awe at how much Leroy believes there’s still a semblance of order in a planet of chaos and barbarism. He shakes his head, with a tight press of his lips, the hopeful glint in Leroy’s eyes fading.

“After that stunt Handsome Jack pulled? No way, we wouldn’t be welcome there.”

The scientist seemed to have lost all the fight from his system, as realization finally dawned on him that everything Eugene said is true. His mouth hangs open, unruly black hair half covering his frightened eyes. No longer can he live the simple life he had in Helios, spending hours upon hours bent over a desk, tinkering with prosthetics and the latest E-tech in his own little lab, his safe space away from the horrors the rest of the space station offered, from the ruthlessness of Pandora.

Eugene was about to let Leroy go and tell him to pack his things up when he thinks the man has calmed down, but jumped when Leroy suddenly shoves Eugene’s hands off of him, bowing his body with both hands pressed against his temples, shaking his head furiously, his breathing getting more unstable.

“No…No! It can’t be!” Leroy shouts, eyes filled with unshed tears. “You’re joking! I’m sure we don’t have to kill anyone! I don’t _want_ to, Eugene!”

The soldier’s lips pulled into a frown at his companion’s stubbornness, his anger slowly starting to rise with every denial slipping through Leroy’s lips. He grinds his teeth together, before he wrenched Leroy’s hands off of himself, roughly grabbing the scientist’s face in his hands and forcing him to look at Eugene, his red-blue irises filled with frustration.

“Get a hold of yourself, Leroy!” He barks out, having had enough of the man’s whining. Leroy flinches and wanted to move away, but Eugene doesn’t loosen his grip.

“The world isn’t as naïve as you think! Not everywhere is as peaceful as Eden-5, not even Helios! You must be deluding yourself if you think Hyperion isn’t filled with power hungry animals. Everyone’s basically killing everyone else for a higher position in the company! Jack fucking _strangled_ Tassiter to become the CEO! Murder is everywhere around you!” Eugene swept his arm around to emphasize his point.

“And how dare you even think you never participated in this craze-fest.” He jabs an accusing finger at Leroy’s chest, ignoring his pained whimper. “ _You_ helped Hyperion develop murder weapons. How many people do you think have fallen to your E-tech shit, huh?” Eugene might have gone overboard with this one, as Leroy’s face contorted from hopeless panicking to a hurt look, absolutely stricken by his words.

Eugene was ready to launch into another outburst, but he stops short upon seeing the single tear that rolled down Leroy’s cheek, followed by another one, before they fell in a steady stream. Alarm bells started ringing in his head when his ears caught him sobbing. He fucked up big time.

“I…I didn’t think…”

Leroy sounds so broken, so _lost_. Eugene can instantly feel the regret bubbling up inside him, guilt gnawing at his insides. Some bodyguard he is, he’s supposed to make Leroy feel safe and sound! Not…Not antagonize him.

He swallows the guilt threatening to crawl up his throat as he gently swiped the tears from Leroy’s face, his skin soft and delicate to the touch, just like the scientist himself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.” Eugene whispers into the space between them, low and quiet, the words only meant for them to hear.

“I know this is a lot to take in, but it’s not something we can avoid. I have to kill people to protect you, people that want to hurt you. It’s my job to get rid of dangerous people. And if you didn’t kill that guy, _I_ would have been dead instead. Do you want that?” Leroy shakes his head without missing a beat. “See? We don’t have a choice! Look, don’t think of it as murder, think of it as self-defence instead. We’re not at fault unless we shoot first. How does that sound to you?”

Leroy doesn’t answer for a few seconds, hiccupping in an attempt to contain his sobs. He looks away, shrugging his shoulders half-heartedly. He wasn’t sold just yet, but Eugene thinks it’ll have to do for now. They don’t have much time until the bandits in the hideout come out to check the gunfire and the shouting.

“I-I guess that works…”

Eugene offers a genuine smile at the answer, muttering ‘good boy’ before he pulls Leroy into a tight embrace, running his hand soothingly through the soft strands of Leroy’s hair. He can feel the younger’s tears seep into the fabric of his crop top, letting him cry the rest of his sorrows out. Leroy’s arms wound around Eugene’s bulky frame, pulling him in tighter as he pressed his face against the soldier’s solid chest, contrasting greatly with Leroy’s lithe frame. Eugene couldn’t help the way his gaze softened as he looks down at the man in his arms. So frail and gentle compared to him.

A soul as compassionate and kind as Leroy’s doesn’t belong in Pandora, nor Hyperion. He doesn’t want to see the only good he’s ever met in his life get corrupted by the planet’s harsh way of living.

But they had no choice. What can they do when Fate has always been a cruel entity to its victims?

They held each other for a long time, Leroy just relishing in Eugene’s comforting warmth as the elder whispered words of encouragement from time to time, before Eugene reluctantly pulled him away and told him they needed to pack, fast. He can distinctly hear the ruckus from inside the hideout, and he roughly estimates they only have five minutes to reach their stolen vehicle before they’re found.

“Thanks, ‘Gene.”

Eugene’s heart does flips in his ribcage when Leroy throws him a gracious smile, the corners of his eyes crinkling as per usual. He tells himself that Leroy doesn’t look adorable, it was probably just the heat playing tricks on his mind.

Yeah, that was it. Nothing more.

He nods stiffly as he rolled up the tarp, averting his gaze from Leroy. He tries to ignore the way his heartrate refuses to calm down, his grip tightening on the material as he slings it over his back.

This is dangerous. _Feelings_ are dangerous.

“Sure. Now, come on. We can’t let them catch us.”

He can’t possibly leave Leroy if his heart can’t stop yearning to always be by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> Highly contemplating on making this a series, but I'm afraid of abandoning it in the middle. 
> 
> Constructive criticism and feedback is highly appreciated! Don't forget to leave a kudos if you enjoyed it!


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